The people of Barry are particularly outspoken about the issue that has reared its head more so than ever this winter, so we took to King Square to speak to locals and understand exactly what makes this such a concerning issue.
Lindsey Lock said: “I think they got worse toward the end of last year but as quick as the repair them, more appear by the side of it.”
She called them “terrible” and believes that they have turned the Barry Dock link road into “an accident waiting to happen.”
Roger is concerned that the number of potholes in the area is beginning to grow. He said: “It’s not just on side roads, its on the M4 now – they’re everywhere.
“It’s deteriorated massively.”
Margaret, Michael and Peter share his sentiments. They said: “It’s suddenly got worse out of nowhere.
“If you’re driving behind a lorry you can’t see anything in front to be able to dodge them sometimes.
“When we were kids, they’d rip the road up and put two layers of tarmac down – the thing is, they patch them up and the patches don’t last.”
Sue and Mary agree, saying: “I think they’re using inferior material, so therefore they go about two months before it gets frosty and they’re back again.
“When you drive these days, you’re trying to dodge potholes and you’re swerving everywhere.”
Mark Ferriday called the potholes in Barry “terrible”, saying: “It’s bad up by me in Colcot. With the speed bumps as well, you’re constantly up on top then down in a ditch.”
Ellie and George Lewis are concerned that potholes are not just a “nuisance” for drivers, but pedestrians too.
They said: “They’re an obstacle for people in wheelchairs and elderly people with walking sticks. If they catch one, then they could go down and who knows what could happen to them?”
The Vale of Glamorgan Council recently released a post on social media explaining to residents why they can only carry out emergency road repairs during heavy rain and what will happen when the weather improves.
The statement said: “We know potholes are a big frustration for many of you, and we completely understand why.
“When the rain keeps coming down, it feels like new ones appear overnight!
“During spells of heavy rain or bad weather, our teams are only able to carry out emergency repairs.
“That’s because proper resurfacing and long‑lasting repairs need dry, stable conditions for the materials to set correctly.
“If we try to do full repairs in wet weather, the fix simply won’t last, and we’d have to come back and do it all again.
“So while the weather is against us, our focus is on making urgent areas safe.”
They say that as soon as the weather improves and roads begin to dry out, their crews will be out across the Vale to carry out “much more extensive repair work” and tackle the backlog of reported potholes to improve road surface across the county.
